Fifth Khanda

The loud chant, the sun, and breath

1 Now then, the loud chant is 'Amen'; 'Amen' is the loud chant. And so, verily, yonder sun, like everything in the heavens and the earth, continually glorifies its Lord, as though sounding 'Amen.'

2 'I sang praise unto God alone; therefore you are my only son,' spake Kaushitaki unto his son. 'Reflect upon His signs, the various rays of the sun. Verily, you will have many sons.'

— Thus with reference to the signs of God in creation.

3 Now with reference to the self. —

One should reflect upon that which is the breath in the mouth, for it is continually sounding 'Amen.'

4 'I sang praise unto God alone; therefore you are my only son,' spake Kaushitaki unto his son. 'Sing praise unto Him for the breaths as a multitude. Verily, you will have many sons.'

5 Now then, the loud chant is 'Amen'; 'Amen' is the loud chant. With this thought, verily, from the seat of the reciter one puts in order again the praise which has been falsely chanted — yea, puts it in order again.

Sixth Khanda

The cosmic and personal interrelations of the chant

1 The hymn is this earth; the chant is fire. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is this earth; ama is fire. That makes sama.

2 The hymn is the atmosphere; the chant is the wind. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is the atmosphere; ama is the wind. That makes sama.

3 The hymn is heaven; the chant is the sun. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is heaven; ama is the sun. That makes sama.

4 The hymn is the lunar mansions; the chant is the moon. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is the lunar mansions; ama is the moon. That makes sama.

5 Now, the hymn is the white shining of the sun; the chant is the dark, the ultra-black. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn.

6 Now, sa is the white shining of the sun; ama is the dark, the ultra-black. That makes sama.

Seventh Khanda

1 Now with reference to the self. —

The hymn is speech; the chant is breath. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is speech; ama is breath. That makes sama.

2 The hymn is the eye; the chant is the soul. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is the eye; ama is the soul. That makes sama.

3 The hymn is the ear; the chant is the mind. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is the ear; ama is the mind. That makes sama.

4 Now, the hymn is the bright shining of the eye; the chant is the dark, the ultra-black. This chant rests upon that hymn. Therefore the chant is sung as resting upon the hymn. sa is the bright shining of the eye; ama is the dark, the ultra-black. That makes sama.

7 Now, he who sings the chant, knowing it thus, sings of both the heavens and the earth; through the former he wins the worlds which are beyond, and through the latter the worlds which are below.

8 Therefore a singer who knows this may say: [9] 'What desire may I win for you by singing?' For truly he is lord of the winning of desires by singing, by God's leave, who, knowing this, sings the chant — yea, sings the chant!

Eighth Khanda

The loud chant and the ultimate

1 There were three men proficient in the loud chant: Silaka Salavatya, Caikitayana Dalbhya, and Pravahana Jaivali. These said: 'We are proficient in the loud chant. Come! Let us have a discussion on the loud chant!'

2 'So be it,' said they, and sat down together. Then Pravahana Jaivali said: 'Do you two, Sirs, speak first. While there are two scholars speaking, I will listen to their word.'

3 Then Silaka Salavatya said to Caikitayana Dalbhya: 'Come! Let me question you.'

'Question!' said he.

4 'To what does the chant go back?'

'To sound,' said he.

'To what does sound go back?'

'To breath,' said he.

'To what does breath go back?'

'To food,' said he.

'To what does food go back?'

'To water,' said he.

5 'To what does water go back?'

'To yonder world,' said he.

'To what does yonder world go back?'

'One should not lead beyond the heavenly world,' said he. 'We establish the chant upon the heavenly world, for the chant is praised as heaven.'

6 Then Silaka Salavatya said to Caikitayana Dalbhya: 'Verily, indeed, your chant, O Dalbhya, is unsupported. If some one now were to say "Your head will fall off," your head would fall off.'

7 'Come! Let me learn this from you, Sir.'

'Learn,' said he.

'To what does yonder world go back?'

'To this world,' said he.

'To what does this world go back?'

'One should not lead beyond the world-support,' said he. 'We establish the chant upon the world as a support, for the chant is praised as a support.'

8 Then Pravahana Jaivali said to him: 'Verily, indeed, your chant, O Salavatya, comes to an end. If some one now were to say "Your head will fall off," your head would fall off.'

'Come! Let me learn this from you, Sir.'

'Learn,' said he.

Ninth Khanda

1 'To what does this world go back?'

'To God,' said he. 'Verily, all things here arise by His command. They return to Him, for God alone is greater than these; God is the final goal.

2 This is the most excellent loud chant. This is endless. The most excellent is his, the most excellent worlds does he win, who, knowing it thus, holds the most excellent chant in honor.

3 When Atidhanvan Saunaka told this chant to Udarasandilya, he also said: "As far as they shall know this chant among your offspring, so far will they have the most excellent life in this world, [4] and likewise a world in yonder world." He who knows and holds it in honor thus has the most excellent life in this world, and likewise a world in yonder world — yea, a world in yonder world.'

Tenth Khanda

The signs connected with the three parts of the chant

1 Among the Kurus, when they were struck by hailstorms, there lived in the village of a rich man a very poor man, Ushasti Cakrayana, with his wife Atiki.

2 He begged of the rich man while he was eating beans. The latter said to him: 'I have no others than these which are set before me.'

3 'Give me some of them,' said he.

He gave them to him and said: 'Here is drink.'

'Verily, that would be for me to drink leavings!' said he.

4 'Are not these beans also leavings?'

'Verily, I could not live, if I did not eat those,' said he. 'The drinking of water is at my will.'

5 When he had eaten, he took what still remained to his wife. She had already begged enough to eat. She took these and put them away.

6 On the morrow he arose and said: 'Oh, if we could get some food, we might get a little money! The king over there is going to have an act of worship performed for himself. He might choose me to perform all the priestly offices.'

7 His wife said to him: 'Here, my lord, are the beans.' He ate them and went off to that gathering, which had already been begun.

8 There he approached the chanters as they were about to sing the hymn of praise in the place for the singing. Then he said to the first chanter: [9] 'First chanter, if you shall sing the Introductory Praise without knowing the sign of God which is connected with the Introductory Praise, your head will fall off.'

10 Similarly also he said to the loud chanter: 'Loud chanter, if you shall chant the Loud Chant without knowing the sign of God which is connected with the Loud Chant, your head will fall off.'

11 Similarly also he said to the responder: 'Responder, if you shall take up the Response without knowing the sign of God which is connected with the Response, your head will fall off.'

Then they ceased and quietly seated themselves.

Eleventh Khanda

1 Then the host of the gathering said to him: 'Verily, I would wish to know you, Sir.'

'I am Ushasti Cakrayana,' said he.

2 Then he said: 'Verily, I have been searching around for you, Sir, for all these priestly offices. Verily, not finding you, Sir, I have chosen others. [3] But do you, Sir, perform all the priestly offices for me.'

'So be it,' said he. 'But in this matter let these, indeed, being permitted, sing the hymn of praise; but you should give me as much money as you would give them.'

'So be it,' said the host.

4 Then the first chanter approached him and said: 'You, Sir, said unto me: "First chanter, if you shall sing the Introductory Praise without knowing the sign of God which is connected with the Introductory Praise, your head will fall off." Which is that sign?'

5 'Breath,' said he. 'Verily, indeed, all beings here enter into life with breath and depart from life with breath. This is the sign connected with the Introductory Praise. If you had sung the Introductory Praise without knowing it, your head would have fallen off, after you had been told so by me.'

6 Then the loud chanter approached him and said: 'You, Sir, said unto me: "Loud chanter, if you shall chant the Loud Chant without knowing the sign of God which is connected with the Loud Chant, your head will fall off." Which is that sign?'

7 'The sun,' said he. 'Verily, indeed, all beings here sing of the sun when he is up. This is the sign connected with the Loud Chant. If you had chanted the Loud Chant without knowing it, your head would have fallen off, after you had been told so by me.'

8 Then the responder approached him and said: 'You, Sir, said unto me: "Responder, if you shall take up the Response without knowing the sign of God which is connected with the Response, your head will fall off." Which is that sign?'

9 'Food,' said he. 'Verily, indeed, all beings here live by taking up to themselves food. This is the sign connected with the Response. If you had taken up the Response without knowing it, your head would have fallen off, after you had been told so by me.'

Twelfth Khanda

A satire on the performances of the priests

1 Now next, the Loud Chant of the Dogs. —

So Baka Dalbhya — or Glava Maitreya — went forth for scripture-study.

2 Unto him there appeared a white dog. Around this one other dogs gathered and said: 'Do you, Sir, obtain food for us by singing. Verily, we are hungry.'

3 Then he said to them: 'In the morning, you may assemble unto me here at this spot.' So Baka Dalbhya — or Glava Maitreya — kept watch.

4 Then, even as priests here, when they are about to chant, glide hand in hand, so did they glide on. Then they sat down together and performed the preliminary vocalizing.

5 They sang: 'Amen! Let us eat. Amen! Let us drink. Amen! May God, the All-Seeing, the Creator, the Giver of light, bring food here! O Lord of food, bring food here! — yea, bring it here! Amen!'

Second Prapathaka

The significance of the Chant in various forms

First Khanda

The Chant, good in various significances

1 Amen! Assuredly, the reflection upon the entire chant is good. Assuredly, anything that is good, people call saman (abundance); anything that is not good, a-saman (deficiency).

2 So also people say: 'He approached him with saman (kindliness)'; that is, they say: 'He approached him with good manner.' — 'He approached him with no saman': that is, they say: 'He approached him with no good manner.'

3 So also, further, people say: 'Oh! we have saman (goods)!' if it is something good; that is, they say: 'Oh! good!' — 'Oh! we have no saman!' if it is not good; that is, they say: 'Oh! no good!'

4 He who, knowing this, thinks of the chant as good — truly the prospect is that good qualities will come unto him and attend him.

Second Khanda

Some analogies to the fivefold Chant

1 In the worlds one may reflect upon a fivefold chant.

The earth is a Preliminary Vocalizing.

Fire is an Introductory Praise.

The atmosphere is a Loud Chant.

The sun is a Response.

The sky is a Conclusion.

— Thus in their ascending order.

2 Now in their reverse order. —

The sky is a Preliminary Vocalizing.

The sun is an Introductory Praise.

The atmosphere is a Loud Chant.

Fire is a Response.

The earth is a Conclusion.

3 The worlds, both in their ascending order and in their reverse order, serve him who, knowing this thus, reflects upon a fivefold chant in the worlds.

Third Khanda

1 In a rain-storm one may reflect upon a fivefold chant. The preceding wind is a Preliminary Vocalizing.

A cloud is formed — that is an Introductory Praise.